johneccles Loc: Leyland UK

Us visitors will soon need to have visa to enter any EU country. Any UHH members US members who are considering such as visit should check this out before travelling to Europe.

http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2017/03/02/us-citizens-visas-for-europe/

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

Thanks, John. Definitely valuable information.
--Bob

DRG777 Loc: Metro Detroit

This was a non-binding, symbolic vote by the EU parliament. It would only come into force if the individual countries enacted it, which is rather unlikely.

ejrmaine Loc: South Carolina

This is just a reaction, when the EU sobers up and realizes the impact to it's tourism, they will do an about face.

Stupid news article.

rafikiphoto Loc: Spain

I had to smile when I read this line, considering recent events in the US.

The article was little more than a statement of fact. As observed in an earlier post the 'resolution' was largely symbolic and unlikely to get any further.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

"Personally I can’t imagine this would actually be enacted, as it would negatively impact tourism in Europe, which is already struggling enough at the moment. Then again, it’s not unusual for politics and pride to get in the way of common sense."

Time will tell.

FrumCA

I received a note from a travel agency I deal with and they, too, are not concerned with this. Here's the note:

To Our Loyal and Future Guests,

In the past several days there have been some confusing and misunderstood reports about purported visa requirements to Europe for US citizens, and I wanted to take a moment to clarify what, in fact, transpired and what that means for travel to Europe generally. I also want to assure you, from first-hand experience, that there is no better time than now to travel to Europe.

In a symbolic gesture taken by a simple show of hands, an administrative arm of the European Union (EU) urged another arm of the EU to institute a new regulation requiring US citizens to obtain a visa before visiting any EU-member nation.

To be very clear: no visa requirement has been added for US citizens traveling to Europe, nor is there likely to be anytime soon.

Just as the US enjoys great economic benefit and job growth from travelers visiting the US, so too do those very EU countries (some of which, such as France, Italy, and Spain, are the most visited countries in the world) reap the benefit of the US tourist. For any sort of EU visa requirement to take effect, the EU countries would have to officially approve the move, "a process that could take years," according to a report by BBC News.

As background, the move is the latest development in a dispute between the EU and the US regarding travel requirements for its citizens, as there are five EU countries (Bulgaria, Croatia, Poland, Romania and Cyprus) for whose citizens the US requires a visa for travel. As US citizens can travel to any and all EU countries without a visa, the EU would like the same ability for all its citizens.

I'd like to add that the political posturing is simply that and has in no way affected travel to Europe for US citizens or the welcome we receive from Europe's citizens. To note, I hold Tauck's seat on the Advisory Council of the European Tour Operators Association, and I hear first-hand what is really going on with the various political actions that happen in Brussels and London.

Between myself and others on the Tauck team, we have been to Paris, London, Frankfurt and Berlin in the past six weeks alone, and everywhere we've been greeted by warmth and welcome. We've had the opportunity to meet with dozens of our trusted partner suppliers, and to a person, they are extremely excited about the season ahead and can't wait to welcome Tauck guests. We had wonderful, stimulating and inspiring visits – and we know you will too.

Should you ever have a further question, our terrific Reservations Sales Counselors are here to help. But do know that Europe is open and will warmly welcome you on your travels this year and in the future.

On behalf of all of us at Tauck, I wish you a bon voyage, indeed!

Best wishes,

Jennifer Tombaugh, President

FlyingTiger Loc: Tortola, BVI

The chances of this happening are almost non-existent, and even if it happened it would just be the type of visa that the airline you are traveling could issue for a nominal fee. The person that wrote this article must not be too bright. You can be assured that the countries named will not do anything to turn away American tourist dollars. Really an article about nothing attempting to promote someone's agenda.

johneccles Loc: Leyland UK

I created this topic so that any UHH members who may be considering a visit to the EU would be made aware if this possibility.
The report in the link is only one of several which I have read in the past few days, these reports all come from reliable sources and not from publications like Breitbart etc.